Method for fracturing and forming a pattern using shaped beam charged particle beam lithography

• US 9,448,473 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2015
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: D2S, Inc.
• Original Assignee: D2S, Inc.
• Inventors: Fujimura, Akira, Tucker, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): YOUNG, CHRISTOPHER G
• Application Number:
  US14/970,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20160103390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 280 Days
• Field of Search: 430/5, 430/30, 430/296, 430/396, 430/397, 430/942, 716/53, 716/55
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/68 Preparation processes not covered by groups G03F1/20 - G03F1/50
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/70 Adapting basic layout or design of masks to lithographic process requirements, e.g., second iteration correction of mask patterns for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/78 by charged particle beam [CPB], e.g. electron beam patterning of masks
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2061 Electron scattering (proximity) correction or prevention methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/398 Design verification or optimisation, e.g. using design rule check [DRC], layout versus schematics [LVS] or finite element methods [FEM] optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes G03F1/36
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31774 Multi-beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3026 Patterning strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3174 Particle-beam lithography, e.g. electron beam lithography
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 430/143 Electron beam

Abstract

In the field of semiconductor production using charged particle beam lithography, a method and system for fracturing or mask data preparation or proximity effect correction is disclosed, where a non-circular target pattern to be formed on a surface is input. A plurality of charged particle beam shots for a multi-beam charged particle beam system is determined, where the plurality of shots will form a pattern on the surface, each charged particle beam shot being a multi-beam shot comprising a plurality of circular or nearly-circular beamlets. The pattern on the surface matches the target pattern within a predetermined tolerance. The determining is performed using a computing hardware device.

Claims

1. A method for fracturing or mask data preparation, the method comprising:

inputting a non-circular target pattern to be formed on a surface;

determining a plurality of charged particle beam shots for a multi-beam charged particle beam system, wherein the plurality of shots will form a pattern on the surface, wherein each charged particle beam shot is a multi-beam shot comprising a plurality of circular or nearly-circular beamlets;

wherein the pattern on the surface matches the target pattern within a predetermined tolerance; and

wherein the determining is performed using a computing hardware device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-beam charged particle beam system comprises a charged particle beam source and an aperture plate, wherein the aperture plate comprises a plurality of apertures which the charged particle beam source illuminates.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein shots in a subset of the plurality of charged particle beam shots overlap each other.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining comprises calculating a calculated pattern that will be formed on the surface using the plurality of shots.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the calculating comprises charged particle beam simulation.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the charged particle beam simulation includes at least one of a group consisting of forward scattering, backward scattering, resist diffusion, Coulomb effect, etching, fogging, loading and resist charging.

7. A method for manufacturing a surface using charged particle beam lithography, the method comprising:

inputting a non-circular target pattern to be formed on the surface;

determining a plurality of charged particle beam shots for a multi-beam charged particle beam system, wherein the plurality of shots will form a pattern on the surface, wherein each charged particle beam shot is a multi-beam shot comprising a plurality of circular or nearly-circular beamlets, and wherein the pattern on the surface matches the target pattern within a predetermined tolerance; and

forming the pattern on the surface with the plurality of shots.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the multi-beam charged particle beam system comprises a charged particle beam source and an aperture plate, wherein the aperture plate comprises a plurality of apertures which the charged particle beam source illuminates.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein shots in a subset of the plurality of charged particle beam shots overlap each other.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein each shot in the plurality of shots comprises an assigned dosage, and wherein the assigned dosages of shots in the plurality of shots vary with respect to each other before dosage correction.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein beamlets in the plurality of beamlets comprise assigned dosages, and wherein the assigned dosages of the beamlets vary with respect to each other before dosage correction.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the determining comprises calculating a calculated pattern that will be formed on the surface using the plurality of shots.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the calculating comprises charged particle beam simulation.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the charged particle beam simulation includes at least one of a group consisting of forward scattering, backward scattering, resist diffusion, Coulomb effect, etching, fogging, loading and resist charging.

15. The method of claim 7 wherein the surface is a reticle to be used in an optical lithography process to manufacture a substrate.

16. A system for manufacturing a surface using charged particle beam lithography, the system comprising:

a device configured to input a non-circular target pattern to be formed on the surface; and

a computation device configured to determine a plurality of charged particle beam shots that will form a pattern on the surface using a multi-beam charged particle beam system, wherein each charged particle beam shot is a multi-beam shot comprising a plurality of circular or nearly-circular beamlets, and wherein the pattern on the surface matches the target pattern within a pre-determined tolerance.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the multi-beam charged particle beam system comprises a charged particle beam source and an aperture plate, wherein the aperture plate comprises a plurality of apertures which the charged particle beam source illuminates.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein each shot in the plurality of shots comprises an assigned dosage, and wherein the assigned dosages of shots in the plurality of shots vary with respect to each other before dosage correction.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein beamlets in the plurality of beamlets comprise assigned dosages, and wherein the assigned dosages of the beamlets vary with respect to each other before dosage correction.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the computation device comprises a calculation device configured to calculate the pattern that will be formed on the surface.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the calculation device performs charged particle beam simulation.